Originally Posted by
Floridahanger
So, here's what I do in the Summer. We do a "No UQ Hang" in July and "Summer's Last Gasp Hang" in September.
- First, try to work outside for a week before you go camping to get used to the weather. Gardening, mowing at noon or building structures in the back is great.
- Try to hike out to camp(set up if car camping) late afternoon/evening or at first light before sunrise to beat the heat. Afternoon showers help to cool things down. Evening is great because the heat is over and cooling as you set up camp and ready for bed. Morning set up, it will just get hotter thru out the day.
- Location, location, location. Set up away from brush or as much in the open as possible to get the biggest chance of a breeze. I set up at the edge of one pond at the end of a clear corridor with little brush. Almost always a breeze flowing past.
- Swim if possible as much as possible at highest heat of the day. We have a nice pond and it's very cool down deep.
- Chase the shade and hide from the Sun. Oh, that spinning blob of burning heat stroke can be @#$%* at times.
- Hydrate and keep your drinks cool in the pond if needed.
- Just before changing clothes, sponge(cloth) bathe to clean and cool your body. Less grime and sweat makes for a cooler sleep.
- Change into dedicated, dry and clean sleepwear. No socks or hats. I use a loose-fitting long sleeve poly-spandex blend shirt. It doesn't hold heat but does cool me.
- If there's a breeze that keeps mossies away, don't use a bugnet. But you may need a UQ in the wee hours of the night/morning. I hang my UQ next to me ready to deploy if needed and keep my very light TQ in my gear hammock just in case(have used both in July and Sept many times due to breeze)
- Set up tarp in porch mode or as close to double porch mode as possible to catch the most breeze.
This is pretty much what I do to keep cool in Summer, in Florida, in the heat and humidity of the Ocala National Forest.
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